According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a smokescreen is an artificial cloud of smoke that is used to hide movement and positions of soldiers from the enemy. In today’s world, it is something that hides the truth about someone intentions. Smokescreens are normally used to divert attention away from real more pressing issues.
A case and point is of course the sudden Syed Saddiq tell-tale of Tunku Mahkota Johor involvement in a Manny Pacquio fight that happen in KL many months ago. Why is the young minister only telling it now and not when it was hot? One can only look at the time line and can’t help to think it is indeed a smokescreen.
Just a day before, on 22 Apr 2019, in a Bersatu supreme council meeting a clash of titans happened between Tun Mahathir and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. It was later confirmed that Tun was very unhappy with the agreement Tan Sri Muhyiddin who was Bersatu Johor chairman, made with the Sultan of Johor on a state-exco shuffle. Tun was very adamant about not bowing down to the royals, whatever the circumstances maybe. He saw Tan Sri actions a huge slap to his stand hence a clash of the titan, war of words some call it during the supreme council meeting. Historically, when Tun gets this angry, someone gets fired. Hence the media was fueled with speculation of a sacking or a Bersatu collapse in the coming days. Something needed to be done.
Enter the smoke screen. It was then up to Syed Saddiq who commands are huge social media following to create a diversion. Hence, the Manny Pacquiao story pops up again, 8 months prior to the event and only a day after the Tun vs Tan Sri clash. This sent the media into another direction, diverting attention away from the sour relationship Tun is currently having with TSMY.
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Syed Saddiq is not the only one that occasionally fires smoke screen. Tun Mahathir is also one to master the art of smokescreens. Take for example the “TMJ is a stupid little boy” remark he made. Again, this statement was in no way an immediate response to any remark, statements or tweet from the young prince. The now infamous ‘tukar PM’ shout out too was almost a week prior to the ‘stupid’ statement issued by Tun. One can only ask, why is Tun making such derogatory remarks, even more so on the first day of Ramadhan. Again, a smokescreen.
The remarks came out on the 6th of May, 3 days before PH 1st year anniversary of winning the elections. It is no secret PH popularity is dropping with Tun’s popularity taking a huge dip from a high of 71% to currently 46%. Pakatan Harapans government ratings also dipped from from 79% to currently 39% according to a poll by the Merdeka Center. The media needed a new angle, a new story.
Enter the smoke screen. This time in the form of Tun Mahathir himself lambasting TMJ as being a “stupid little boy”. It is no secret that Tun has always been at loggerheads with the royals, having played a role himself in reducing the legal immunity of the royals in the 1993 Constitutional amendments. However so, Tun has never called someone “stupid”, even Najib with all his alleged embezzlement was spared derogatory remarks. The “stupid little boy” statement sent the media into a frenzy, digging further and deeper into the Tun vs the Royal battle, hence neglecting the more important issues of the failing government, ministers and policies. A beautiful crafted smokescreen.
In the coming weeks, more smokescreens are predicted to be crafted and lit. As the government grapples to have a firm grip of the economy, the spiraling ringgit and the rising cost of living, a temporary solution is to send people in another direction. But Abraham Lincoln put it, you can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.
WRITER: Husni Zakaria
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